Nathan l



(No Model.)

N. L.-HOLMES. BOLSTER SPRING.

No. 535,904. 1 Patented Mar. 19,1895.

fal /midi, fiolirwg STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHAN L. HOLMES, OF RAOINE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE ACME ADJUSTABLE POLE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

'BOLS'l'ER-SPRI NGQ $PEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 535,904, dated March 19, 1895.

Application filed January 12, 1894. Serial No. 496,685. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, NATHAN L. HOLMES, of Racine,.in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bolster-Springs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in bolsters for vehicles and particularly to'that class wherein an auxiliary spring bolster or supporting bar is used in connection with an ordinary or non-yielding bolster of the kind commonly used on wagons, carts and the like.

The invention has for its object to produce aconstruction the parts of which are so arranged as to prevent excessive strain or wear coming upon them, to provide a spring supported bolster which shall readily respond to relatively light loads, at the same time to produce a structure capable of sustaining the most severe strains without injury, and one which will support its load steadily under all conditions.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and particularly pointed out i in the appended claims and will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bolster constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a top or plan view of the same, and Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view, taken on the line 4+4: of Fig. 1.

Referring to said drawings, A designates a bolster and B B the stakes or guide standards therein, these parts being of any common construction.

O designates .an auxiliary spring bolster yieldingly supported upon the main bolster A by means of aleaf spring D and coiled springs E E, the latter arranged at each end thereof, ashereinafterdescribed. Thesupportingbar C is adapted to fit loosely between the standards B B and is provided with recesses or Ways 0 c at either end adapted to engage the standards and hold the bar from lateral dis placement. The bolster G is sustained at its center by the single leaf spring D, which lat ter is in turn supported at each end upon a bearing plate F with which the end of the springhas sliding engagement. This bearing plate F rests flatly upon the main bolster A ter for some distance from the end. in such manner as to fit over this rib f. A plate F is secured transversely upon the rib f above the spring D by means of a bolt or rivet f as shown in Fig. 4, and in order to prevent said plate from becoming separated from the end of the spring when the auxiliary bolster is removed from the main bolster, the end of the spring is turned up or provided with nibs d d adapted to engage the edge of the plate and thus hold them together. The vertical thickness of the rib f is greater than the thickness of the leaf spring D and the under side of the plate F is beveled adjacent to the said spring D in such manner as to permit free sliding movement of the latter upon the plate F when in position upon the bolster, as clearly shown in the drawings.

The arrangement of the coiled springs E E is as follows: Mounted in a transversely arranged bearing formed on the plate F is a rod G having down-turned ends 9 g each of which carries a cup-shaped socket H adapted to receive the end of one of the said coiled springs E. These sockets are shown as secured to the downturned ends of the rod G by means of thimbles h it through which the ends of the rod pass, the latter being riveted therein by slightly upsetting the same. These thimbles said sockets rigidly in a certain fixed relation to the supporting rod, in this instance in the Same plane with the axis of the rod G.

A second bearing plate I having a transversely arranged pivot rod J is secured to the under side of the auxiliary bolster C vertically above the plate F, the ends of the pivot rod being in this instance turned upwardly and carrying sockets K K similar to those before described, as clearly shown in the drawings. Said plate I is secured to the piece 0 by means of bolts it. A protecting cap or casting L is secured over the end of the piece 0 by means of the bolts 1' 2' passing therethrough, said cap forming the end proper of the piece 0 and being cast with a way or groove therein adapted to engage the guide standard B. Adjustment of said cap endwise of the piece 0 is provided by means of the slot-shaped bolt apertures Z Z, as clearly seen in Fig. 3.

The coiled springs E E are interposed be tween the corresponding pairs of sockets H and K. They are secured therein preferably by means of rivets is passing transversely through the sockets and the coil of the spring therein near the closed end of the socket, as shown in Fig. 3. 1

A bolster thus constructed possesses ad vantages not heretofore attained, so far as I am aware. By the arrangement of the sockets for the springs E E upon pivotal supports, as shown, said springs are free to assume a position adapted to take any strain brought thereon .in a direct line regardless of the relative positions of the main and auxiliary bolsters, thus absolutely preventing any twisting or cramping strain coming upon said springs. The location of said springs outside of rather than between the two bolsters permits the use.

of longer and more resilient springs and therefore greatly lessens the liability of breakage.

most satisfactory means of supporting the principal part of the load, but by reason of its attachment at its central part only, the spring is extremely liable to be broken under the violent vlurching or cramping strains to which it is subjected, unless it be insome The 10- manner protected from such strains. cation of the coiled springs at the extreme ends of the bolster afiords such a protection for the leaf spring by preventing any extreme tilting of the bolster O and at the same time distributing the weight or strain over the whole bolster. The result of this combination of springs is to produce a durable bolster, although the springs of which may be made rela tively weak, which will, by its construction, reduce to a minimum the lurching strains caused by the tilting or vibration of the bolster. Again, it will be found that riding will be very much improved and easier in a vehicle to which my improvement has been applied, while the load will be carried more steadily under all circumstances.

It is to be noted that various other forms of pivotal connections or supports for the ends of the coiled springs might be employed with substantially the same effect of allowing the spring to maintain a direct line between its points of attachment, but the yoke or crankarm form herein shown is for various reasons deemed most desirable. For instance, with this form of connection, I am enabled not only to use a spring of greater length, but OW- ing to the fact that the point of attachment of the spring with said yoke is considerably removed from the pivotal axis of the latter, any lateralshifting of the spring at either end will cause the yoke to promptly rock in its bearing to meetthe changed condition, notwithstandingthe fact that there may be considerable friction between said bearing and the yoke due to the weight of the load thereon.

Another and important advantage of the present construction consists in the arrangement of the bearing plate in such manner that while affordinga support upon which the end of the leaf spring may rest and slide, yet it affords alsoa stationary support for the coiled supporting springs which is not in any Way affected by the action of the leaf spring sliding thereon.

I claim as my invention- 1. A bolster spring comprising vertically arranged coiled supporting springs located at the ends ofthe bolster, one at each side thereof, said springs being connected at their ends with the bolster and supporting bar by means of pivotal or hinged connections,substantially as set forth.

2. Abolster spring comprising two vertically arranged coiled supporting springs located at each end of the bolster, one at each side thereof, and hinged yokes mounted on the bolster and supportingbar and engaged with the ends of the springs, substantially as set forth.

3. In a bolster spring, the combination with a vertically arranged coiled compression spring arranged at the end of the bolster and at one side thereof, of a pivotal connection between the end of said coiled spring and the part against which it acts, whereby lateral strain onthe spring is avoided, substantially as set forth.

4. A bolsterspring comprising a leaf spring interposed between the supporting bar thereof and its support, said spring having sliding engagement at its ends with one of said parts, and coiled springs arranged vertically at each end of the bolster, one at each side thereof, said coiled springs having pivotal connection at their ends with the parts against which they act, substantially as set forth.

5. A bolster spring, com prising a leaf spring interposed betweenthe supporting bar thereof and its support, bearing plates having sliding engagement with the ends of the spring and adapted to rest on the bolster support,

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vertically arranged coiled supporting springs arranged at the ends of said bolster, one at each side thereof, yokes arranged transversely of and pivoted to said bearing plates and atfording support for the lower ends of the springs, and pivoted yokes carried by the bar of said bolster-spring affording attachment for the upper ends of the coiled springs, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a leaf spring for an auxiliary bolster or the like, of a bearing plate for the end of said spring, said plate having a central, longitudinally arranged rib, and a retaining plate secured on said rib, the

NATHAN L. HOLMES.

Witnesses:

O. CLARENCE POOLE, ALBERT H. GRAVES. 

